From the outset, let me make it clear that I believe that all Americans deserve health care. Children should not go without medical attention- no one should. Having said that one issue is how it will be financed and there has been the most attention on this. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria did an excellent segment on what we could learn from other countries about health care outlining their experiences. I will not explore health care financing. Enough has been said about it and I am hardly qualified to expound on this topic. What is missing, I think, is commentary about how ANY centralized form of health care could survive- being administered in a nation of our size.

Looking at models from Taiwan or Europe, for example, is most helpful, but, in the end they have nowhere near the logistic issues that we have here in the U.S. Our population is much more diverse from a religious base culturally, politically, financially, ethnically and racially. While English is our primary language, Spanish and many others are employed regionally. Our geography is immense and spans large cities, small towns and remote rural and mountain communities. We are, proudly I should say, a patchquilt. To attempt to manage the health of our diverse population centrally is utter madness. Centrally managed, Medicare’s success, I am sure, will not endure as our senior population expands with information age boomers who are much more independent and less prone to be herded or follow rules and regulations as today’s seniors do.

From Meghan Holohan, Vitals- MSNBC.com Researchers in Italy examined monogamy among men and discovered an interesting correlation -- having an extramarital affair increases men’s risk of having a deadly heart attack. t’s almost cliché: a middle-age man having sex with a woman who is not his wife keels over in flagrante delicto, what’s known as sudden coital death (oh yes, it has a medical name). The researchers -- from the University of Florence -- examined the medical literature related to cheating by searching for “unfaithfulness,” “extramarital affairs,” “infidelity” and “men.” Reliable statistics about cheating are hard to find because most people claim to be morally opposed to cheating and don’t chat to scientists about it. The authors report that anywhere from 15 to 25 percent to as many as 30 to 50 percent of men cheat at least once in their lives. Then the researchers looked at a variety of physical and mental health factors and the rates they occur in both monogamous and un-monogamous men.

Doctors have long known that men live longer if they consistently have sex into old age, but knocking boots only provides a health boost if it occurs with the same partner in a familiar place. Sex into old age only helps if you’re doing it with your spouse. Sudden coital death occurs most frequently when a man engages in coitus with a woman who is not his long-term partner. While scorned wives might believe these results make sense on a karmic level, the authors found them surprising. Generally, cheating men have better hormonal and vascular function, meaning they’re healthier than monogamous men (finally, a reason to be excited that your man is a couch potato).But the authors believe that the act of trying to keep an affair secret might contribute to cheating men’s increased risk of a deadly heart attack.“It’s the added stress of trying to have a secret affair,” says Gillinov. “You are doing things that you don’t normally do.” Cheating men frequently have affairs with younger partners and these men feel they have to drink, smoke, and eat more to keep up with their mistresses. All this adds up to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety, which can contribute to a heart attack. Although, sex itself is no more strenuous than walking up a few flights of stairs.

After spending weeks and weeks considering my options, I have decided to close my practice at the end of June, 2012. I will still be available to you on a limited basis after work hours by phone or Skype visits if you need my advice with regard to complementary and alternative medicine or if you need help making medical decisions. My office phone line 480 661 1880 will remain open for the foreseeable future as will my email address so that you can contact me by sending or leaving me a message. Of course, I will keep your records so that they can be sent to your new physician. I wish that I could suggest a physician (s) to you who shares my philosophy or who would be willing to spend the time with you as I do, but, I do not know of anyone. I suggest that you call your insurance company or check the list of providers of that company on line and call to interview them and their staff. There will be advertisers consistent with my philosophy on www.DrSamBenjamin.com in the near future as my web site develops. My radio show Primary Care on KTAR 92.3 from 4-5 PM on Saturdays will continue.

I am joining the Scottsdale Physicians Group (SPG) and will be working with those who are home bound or who are in Skilled Nursing Facilities- all in desperate need of good care, love and compassion. I hope that I can make their lives a little easier.

Kate James at NewsGather.com reports: At least 900 pet deaths and illnesses have been linked to Chinese dog treats. Six months ago the FDA issued a warning about the chicken jerky dog treats. Since March the number of complaints of pet sicknesses and deaths have doubled.Throughout the U.S. these Chinese dog treats have caused kidney failure in pets and even death in many instances. The FDA continues their investigation………. The treats believed to have caused the problem are Nestle Purina's Waggin' Train and Canyon Creek Ranch, and both of these are produced in China. However, the FDA does not know what it is about the Chinese produced dog treats that have caused the problem for pets that eat them.

The FDA has warned about these treats since 2007, but things really escalated near the end of 2011. People whose pets have been affected have created a Facebook group called "Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made In China."

Blueberries are native to North America but are now grown around the world. Specific nutrients of the berries vary by locale and season. Blueberries have high levels of anthocyanins and thus high antioxidant levels. Anthocyanins are the pigments many plants produce in order to attract the birds and insects necessary for the dispersion of their seeds and pollination. Blueberries have been shown to have antioxidant properties, and preliminary animal and in vitro studies suggest that they may also provide anti-inflammatory effects, help manage diabetes, and help maintain the health of the brain, particularly the hippocampus and memory systems.

Strawberry is predominantly known for its bright red, edible fruit covered in small seeds. The fruit is fragrant and high in fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium and antioxidants. Epidemiological studies indicate that strawberry ingestion may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. More research is needed in these areas before supplemental amounts may be recommended. Preliminary research also indicates that strawberry may be useful as an anti-inflammatory and iron absorption enhancement.